West Side Story Revival to Launch National Tour in 2010

By Andrew Gans
13 Apr 2009

West Side Story stars Josefina Scaglione and Matt Cavenaugh.
West Side Story stars Josefina Scaglione and Matt Cavenaugh.
Photo by Joan Marcus

A national tour of West Side Story, based on the current, acclaimed revival at Broadway's Palace Theatre, will launch in fall 2010, according to a statement released by the show's producers April 13.

Other details — including casting and venues — have yet to be announced.

The revival of the ground-breaking Arthur Laurents-Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim musical West Side Story officially opened on Broadway March 19.

Directed by the show's Tony Award-winning librettist Laurents, this staging of West Side Story introduces "the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout both the book and songs," the producers previously announced. In fact, both "I Feel Pretty" (sung by Maria) and "A Boy Like That" (sung by Anita) are delivered entirely in Spanish.

The cast is headed by Matt Cavenaugh (A Catered Affair, Grey Gardens) as Tony, Karen Olivo (In the Heights) as Anita, Cody Green (Movin' Out) as Riff and George Akram ("Stuck on You") as Bernardo. Twenty-one-year-old Argentinean actress Josefina Scaglione, who created the role of Amber Von Tussle in the Argentinean production of Hairspray, co-stars as Maria.

The large cast also includes Steve Bassett as Lt. Schrank, Mike Cannon as Snowboy, Kyle Coffman as A-Rab, Joey Haro as Chino, Eric Hatch as Big Deal, Curtis Holbrook as Action, Michael Mastro as Glad Hand, Lee Sellars as Krupke, Tro Shaw as Anybodys, Ryan Steele as Baby John and Greg Vinkler as Doc along with Nicholas Barasch, Kyle Brenn, Joshua Buscher, Isaac Calpito, Haley Carlucci, Peter Chursin, Madeline Cintron, Lindsay Dunn, Yurel Echezarreta, John Arthur Greene, Manuel Herrera, Matthew Hydzik, Marina Lazzaretto, Chase Madigan, Yanira Marin, Mileyka Mateo, Kaitlin Mesh, Angelina Mullins, Kat Nejat, Christian Elán Ortiz, Pamela Otterson, Danielle Polanco, Sam Rogers, Michael Rosen, Amy Ryerson, Jennifer Sanchez, Manuel Santos, Michaeljon Slinger, Tanairi Sade Vazquez and Mark Zimmerman.

The production features scenic design by James Youmans, costumes by Tony Award nominee David C. Woolard, lighting by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley, hair by Mark Adam Rampmeyer and sound design by Tony Award nominee Dan Moses Schreier.

West Side Story has music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Laurents. The staging retains the original choreography of late director Jerome Robbins, who conceived the project by using Romeo and Juliet as inspiration. The Robbins choreography has been restaged by Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).

This West Side Story boasts an onstage cast of 46 and 30 musicians in the orchestra pit.

"West Side Story transports the achingly beautiful tale of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the turbulent streets of the Upper West Side in 1950's New York City," according to the producers. "Two star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, find themselves caught between the rival street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, the 'Jets' and the 'Sharks.' Their struggle to exist together in a world of violence, hate and prejudice is one of the most heart-breaking, relevant and innovative musical masterpieces of our time."

Tickets are available by visiting Ticketmaster.com or by calling (212) 307-4100.